How Robin Williams Made an 'Impact' on Questlove in 2 Minutes

by Jackie Willis
7:17 AM PDT, August 12, 2014

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Questlove's elevator encounter with Robin Williams shows the stand-up character of the late actor.

The Roots member, perhaps most recognizable for performing nightly on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, shared his two-minute moment with the Oscar winner, that he says had a real "impact" on him.

Questlove posted an Instagram pic on Monday of Williams during his Mork & Mindy days to coincide with his moving story. "Man. The smallest gesture can mean the world to you," he begins. "Robin Williams made such an impact on me and didn't even know it. He named checked all of us in the elevator during the 2001 Grammys."

Questlove writes that Williams recognized The Roots and said, "Questlove.....Black Thought....Rahzel....The Roots from Philadelphia!!!! That's right you walked on this elevator saying to yourself, 'Ain't no way this old white dude knows my entire history and discography.'"

The Roots, of course, reacted by "laughing so hard." Questlove admitted, "That NEVER happened to us (sic) before. Someone a legend acknowledged us and really knew who we were (his son put him on to us) man it was a small two [minute] moment in real life but that meant the world to me at the time.

He added: "Every time I saw him afterwards, he tried to top his trivia knowledge on all things Roots associated. Simply because he knew that meant everything to me."